Book holder and protector.



E. B. HESS.

BOOK HOLDER AND PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.-6. 1914.

1,228,435. Patented June 5, 1917.

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E. B. HESS.

BOOK HOLDER AND PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6. I914- 1,228,435 Patented June 5, 1937.

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BOOK HOLDER'AND PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- fi. I914.

Patented June 5, 1917.

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I By

ATTORNEY EDWARD B. HESS, on BaooKLvN, NEW YORK.

BOOK HOLDER AND PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 191 '7.

Application filed November 6, 1914. Serial No. 870,580.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. Hnss, a citizen of the United States, residing in Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Book Holder and Protector, of which the following is a specification.

The object ofthis invention is to provide a book holder adaptedespecially for use on automobiles which permits of the ready inspection and examination of the book and will protect it from injury in all kinds of weather.

The invention comprises a casing so constructed as 'to fully protect an inclosed book and to expose opposed pages for free examination and a flexible covering, preferably transparent, suitably attached and adapted to be arranged over the open casing so as to protect the open book. Features of detail whereby the device may be attached to a suitable part of a vehicle, such as the steering part of an automobile, and whereby the casing, when constructed of two parts may be rigidly held in open position, and whereby the transparent covering is firmly secured to prevent disturbance of the book by wind, etc., as well as other minor details of construction will hereafter appear, reference be ing had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates the book holder and protector of this invention applied to the steering postofan automobile:

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device composed of two hinged parts in openposition with the flexible transparent covering in place:

Fig. 3, an end elevation of Fig. 2:

Fig. 4, a transverse section on line 4, 4, of Fig. 2 showing a book in the holder:

Fig. 5, a similar view showing the casing and the book closed:

Fig. 6, an enlargedview of the right hand end of Fig. 4: i

Fig. 7, shows the left hand end of Fig. 4 enlarged:

Fig. 8, afragmentary sectional view on line 8 of Fig. 2:

Fig. 9, asimilar view on line 9,Fig. 2:

Fig. 10 illustrates a one piece book holder casing in section, and a modification of the supporting bracket provided with a hinge connection and anfilluminating device;

Figull shows an end view ofthe casing set in unused position.

Fig. 12, a detached plan of the clamping end of the bracket; and

Fig. 13, an end view of the flexible covering roller.

Themain portion of the holder, when composed of two parts, consists'of two box-like structures 10 and 11 forming a casing with upturned surrounding flanges. The adjacent flanges 12 extend only about one-half the height of the other flanges and are hinged together, as at 13. The flanges of the part 11 overlap the flanges of part 10 when the easing is closed, as at Fig. 5, to fully cover and protect a-contained book. The upper flange 14 of part 10 is turned inwardly, preferably curved, as is also the side flange 15 of this part, and the two lower flanges l6 and 17 of the parts 10 and 11 respectively have openings 18 and 19, as shown inFig. 3, which are each respectively covered by the plain part of the flanges of the other part when the casing is closed.

A bracket 20 is, by an extension arm 21, secured by rivets to the bottom of the part 10 of the casing and is provided with a clamp ing device adapted to fasten the book holder to any desired object, shown in the drawings as a clamp 22, formed to embrace the steering post 23 of an automobile, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. In Figs. 2 and 3, 24 indicates thesteering rod. The clamping part of the bracket has, for ready attachment to post 23, a cap 45 hinged to the main part 22 and held in position by a thumb screw 46. Connected by one end to part 10, by one of the rivets whichhold bracket 20 to part 10, is a bar 25,the other end of the bar being provided with an operating knob 26 and preferably with a friction washer 27 which presses against part' 11 when the bar is moved to hold the two parts 10 and 11 of the casing in open position. Studs 28, 29 are provided, formed with grooves which are engaged by slots or notches 30 and 31 in the side of the bar 25, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, thereby holding the casing firmly in open position. I

Between bracket. arms 32 at the underside of the flange 15 of part 10 is located a spring actuated roller 33, of usual construction, and to this roller is secured a flexible transparent curtain or covering 34 of celluloid or other suitable material. The covering is fastened to the roller by spring clips 35, which are sprung over the part of the covering wrapped around the roller, (see Figs.

7 and 8. The free-edge of the covering 34 is provided with means by which it may be readily handled. This consists of an angularly formed strip 36, of a single piece of material, bent to produce two walls or parts between which the covering is held, the bend, or L-shaped cross-section, oi the strip securely fastening it to the coverlng, rivets or the like not being depended on for this purpose. The rivets 37 merely assist in holding the parts of the strips together and the strip on the covering. A button or knob 38 attached to the outer end flange of part 11 afiords means for holding the covering over the casing, a coacting tag or perforated thumb piece 39 being secured to angular strip 36 by a rivet 40. With the easing closed, the covering 34, after being released from 38 is seltwound on spring roller 33- and angular strip 36 rests against the rolled up covering, out of the way, as shown at Fig. 5. When the covering is opened out, and spread over the casing, it passes over the rounded upper edge of flange 15 and angular strip 36 is set over the top of the side flange of part 11; the top edge of the covering is slipped under the inward bend of flange 14, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, 7 and 8; and the part adjacent the top of upper flange 41 of part 11 is bent down against said flange, as shown in Fig. 9. This arrangement holds the upper edge of the covering securely to the casing so as not to be aitected by the wind, thus protecting the book inside the casing. With a book opened out in the open casing, the hinged parts 12, 13, enter the back of the book to hold it in position, as shown at Fig. 4. The hook may be handled and its leaves turned, without releasing the covering, by slipping the hand beneath the covering and raising it, the opening 18, 19 in the lower flanges facilitating this. As the covering is raised it is unwound from the spring roller.

lV-hen the hand is withdrawn from the oasing, the covering is automatically rewound on the roller.

The edges or the covering, where they join the handling strip 36, may be strengthened by reinforced pieces 42.

A lock 43 is shown applied to part 10 of the casing to secure parts 10 and 11 together when theholder is closed, a corresponding key-hole 44 being formed in part 11.

The'casing in which the book is held may be made in one piece 47 Fig. 10, adapted to,

hold a book in open position and it may be provided with a covering 34 secured atone end by any, suitable means to the casing, a roller. 33 being shown as in the other views ot the drawingsl' 'Ihe' covering may be of any. suitable fabric or material that is flex-i ble but inf'som'ei cases not'necessarily transparent; A bracket 48 is shown provided with a hingedconnection 49to the casing whose axis of action is arranged transversely, or at about right angles,to steering post 23, one part of the hinge being formed at the end of the bracket and the other part 50 attached to the under side of casing 47, and the two parts are held and clamped together by a screw 51 provided with a handle 52. By this arrangement the casing 47 containing a book or other object for reference may be set out of position of use, as shown at Fig. 11 and may be set in any angular position for convenient observation of its contents and to adapt it for use on different styles of auto-mobiles. The means for fastening the bracket to post 23 in these views Figs. 10 and 11 consist of a semi-circular bearing 53 formed on the bracket and provided with an undercut lug 54, the counter part of which is formed on the clamping cap 55, the parts being held together by a bolt 56.

In some cases it may be desired to draw the covering only partly over the casing and. to cause it to retain any set position,

the spring actuated roller 33 may have, at its end, locking pawls 57 similar in construction and operation to ordinary shade rollers. To permit observation of the book when used at night, an electric lamp or other illuminating device may be used. A form of lamp'is illustrated in Fig. 10 where an arm extends from bracket 48 having at its outer or upper end a lamp 60 containing an electric bulb to which current may be supplied from the generator of an automobile. This lamp may also be used at night in an automobile as illustrated in Fig. 1 for the illumination of the usual signs of direction etc, to be found along road-sides and may therefore be made stronger than that required for mere observation of a book. The lamp by its bracket is connected with bracket 48 in such way that it may be swung thereunder and out of the way when it is not in use. This lamp 60 may be of the search light type and may be supported by stems 61 in a socket 62 by which the lamp may be set in different angular positions, socket 62 being a part of a lamp bracket 63 secured to book-holder bracket 48.

I do not limit my invention to the precise construction shown as I believe that I am the first to have invented a means for carrying a guide book or other indicating materlal usable out of doors in all conditions of weather where the operator is not compelled to withdraw his hand from other engagements for the purpose of handling the same,

and I thereforedesire to cover the subject matter broadly.

I claim? 1 1. .A book holder and protector, comprising a casing consisting of two shallow box sha'pedparts hinged? together at about midway the thickness of the closed casing along adjacent sides, the flanged sides of one part adapted to surround the flanged sides of the other part when closed thereover to fully protect an inclosed book, and when open to hold the book in open position, said hinged part of the casing then extending into the folded back of the book, and a transparent flexible covering adapted to cover the holder and protect the book therein when in open position.

2. A book holder and protector, comprising a casing consisting of two shallow box shaped parts hinged together at adjacent sides, the flanged sides of one part adapted to surround the flanged sides of the other part when closed thereover to fully protect an inclosed book, the edge of the upper flange of the inside part being turned inwardly, and the casing when open being adapted to hold-the book in open position and a transparent flexible covering adapted to cover the holder and protect the book therein when in open position, the upper edge of the flexible covering being held down by the inturned edge of the inside part of the casing.

3. In a book holder and protector, in combination, a hinged two part casing, each part having surrounding walls or flanges, a flexible transparent covering, a spring roller carried by one part of the casing to which one edge of the flexible covering is attached, an angular strip connected to the opposite edge of the flexible covering to seat over the outer flange of the other part of the casing when in open position said strip being in cross-section a right angle and double with the flexible covering interposed between the two parts thereof and means for attaching the angular strip to said flange.

at. In a book holder and protector, in combination, a hinged two part casing, each part having surrounding walls or flanges, a flexible transparent covering, a spring roller carried by one part of the casing to which one edge of the flexible covering is attached, an angular strip connected to the opposite edge of the flexible covering to.

seat over the outer flange of the other part of the casing whenin open position, reinforce pieces at the edges of the covering adjacent the end of the angular strip and means for attaching the angular strip to said flange.

5. In a book holder and protector, in combination, a hinged two part casing, each part having surrounding walls or flanges, the side flange and upper flange of one part having its edges bent inwardly, a flexible transparent covering, a spring roller carried by one part of the casing having its side flange bent inwardly and to which one edge of the flexible covering is attached, said covering passing over the inturned edge of the side flange and under the bent edge of the upper flange when drawn from the spring roller in being placed in protecting position and means at the opposite edge of the covering for fastening said edge to the opposite side of the other part of the casing when in open position.

6. A book holder and protector, comprising a casing consisting of two parts hinged together, a spring actuated roller attached to one part of the casing and carrying a flexible transparent covering adapted when not in use to be rolled up and to be drawn over the holder in open condition and cover a book held therein, an arm extending from the underside of one part of the casing to the other hinged part thereof and adapted to hold the casing in open position and means for holding the flexible covering in open position over the casing.

7. A folding book holder, comprising two hinged sections one of which is stationary and the other movable, a bracket to which the stationary section is secured, extensible means carried by said stationary section for supporting the other section when the book holder is unfolded, a transparent cover for the book, a spring roller carried by the stationary section on which the cover is wound, and devices carried by the movable section for holding the cover in its extended position. 7

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

EDWARD B. HESS.

Witnesses:

L. O. MYERS, GEORGE F. HANDLEY.

Gupies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

